By Sharnaz Shahid

Prince Harry won't be spending Christmas with his lady love this year. While girlfriend Meghan Markle returns back across the pond, the 32-year-old will join the Queen at Sandringham House.

The
Suits actress, who has been dating the royal since the summer, was pictured arriving at London's Heathrow airport on Sunday evening (Dec. 18). It's been reported that the prince personally dropped her off before she embarked on her flight back home for Christmas with her family.

TAP TO VIEW GALLERYPrince Harry will not be celebrating Christmas with girlfriend Meghan Markle

The fifth-in-line will join other senior royals at the Queen's country estate in Norfolk, while the
Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will head to Berkshire with their children Prince George and Princess Charlotte to spend quality time with Kate's parents Carole and Michael Middleton. "The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and their children will have a private Christmas day with the Middleton family," sources recently told Hello!.

Harry and Meghan
made their public debut as a couple on Wednesday evening. The lovebirds were spotted enjoying an evening in the West End, where they watched The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night Time at the iconic Gielgud Theatre in the British capital. A day later, Harry and Meghan, 35, went shopping for a Christmas tree together at Pines and Needles in Battersea Park, where they selected a modest six-foot Nordmann's fir.

The couple started dating over the summer

Sam Lyle, owner of Pines and Needles, told
Hello! Online: "We have looked after some of Britain's highest profile names for nearly 20 years but you could have heard a pin drop – or a needle – when Prince Harry and Meghan walked into the store.

The couple first secretly started dating over the summer after meeting through mutual friends. Towards the end of November, Harry made the rare move to issue a statement, asking the media and members of the public to respect the privacy of his girlfriend. In the lengthy post, the prince acknowledged that there is "significant curiosity about his private life" but appealed to fair-minded people to respect Meghan's privacy.

HELLO! Canada magazine is available for your tablet and smartphone. Get HELLO! Canada, PEOPLE, Vanity Fair and over 100 more of the world’s best magazines for one low monthly price at Texture by Next Issue. CLICK HERE to sign up for a free trial.